


and i'll be waiting there for you

by orphan_account



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M, do i hate myself? the answer is yes.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-27
Updated: 2013-04-27
Packaged: 2017-12-09 15:16:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/775691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She likes to think that maybe this Niall, the one that hugs and smiles and laughs this way, that this Niall is hers. Kind of likes the idea that maybe he still treats her differently, even though she’s told him <i>friends</i>. But she knows better, honestly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	and i'll be waiting there for you

**Author's Note:**

> I blame [chloe](http://accidentalboyfriends.tumblr.com) and [falon](http://abandofdumbs.tumblr.com). Title from Union J's single Carry You because I've lost all ounce of sanity in this new era of ~boy band~.
> 
> Possibly a part 2 (read: pwp) coming soon?

The boy band, as in _The_ Boy Band (as in One Direction), is sitting across from her and she tells herself this is probably one of the better things that could happen to her career. But, if she’s honest, she’s underwhelmed.

When she’d told Grimshaw that she’d be interviewing them after The Brits he just shrugged and gave her a sympathetic look then wandered away without a word, whereas she’d expected him to go overboard with warnings about Harry and that dimpled smile of his. His silence had instilled fear, though. Rita had just shouted in her ear, over the music, to ask Nick about the size of Harry’s dick. And Flack just rolled her eyes with a big grin, “Welcome to the club. Don’t let Louis be cheeky with you. And Niall will talk your ear off if you let him. He tends to ramble.” 

But it didn’t seem true about Niall. Instead, he’s been watching her closely the entire time, mostly quiet despite the excitement of winning. He hasn’t really looked away since she opened her mouth and that accent of hers gave her away as someone that he might take interest in just for their shared home. 

To be fair maybe she shouldn’t have loudly yelled, “Who put the Irish one so far away from me?”

Liam’s a sweetheart, he is, but she does find Niall interesting too and would prefer if they’d switched spots. And Niall hasn’t stopped watching her, even when they cut away to replay the video of them accepting the awards. She tries to pretend she doesn’t know that he’s watching her, fixes the hem of her dress and adjusts her hair over her shoulder before the cameras are live again.

Then, Louis is leaning into Niall, whispering. They both giggle as he gestures towards her and Keith. But she knows it’s really just her, because Niall is grinning right back at Louis, looks over at her, catches her eye, and holds her gaze before turning to whisper something back.

-

She doesn’t know when they went from being acquaintances to being friends. There’s no real marker. It starts off as the occasional text and it’s turned into them going out for drinks together. She’s learned that the trick, for him to keep from being recognised right away, is to never go to the same pub or bar twice.

Tonight, when she walks in, he’s standing at the bar, already has a pint in his hand and is laughing loud with the bartender. Niall has a habit of making friends with everyone. It’s easily the best thing about him, she’s decided. He orders another pint for her, has insisted that when she’s with him she’ll drink no cocktails. Claims she has to be as Irish as possible when they’re together.

She allows him this one rule.

They grab a table near the largest television because Niall claims he wants to watch the football match. He always claims to want to watch whichever football match is on but he always ends up focusing all of his attention on her. Laura takes it as a point of pride. She finds it incredibly endearing that he tries so hard, still, even after months of what is clearly friendship (she sets boundaries, has rules too).

Not that Niall’s ever made a move. That’s the other good thing about him, doesn’t push when she’s said she wants to just be friends.

The football match goes on behind her and he’s laughing, bent over the table, at a joke that she’s just said. Wasn’t even that funny, but this is Niall. Niall, who laughs at everything anyone says, especially anything she says. Niall, who smiles at her like his face has actually gotten stuck like that because his mum didn’t know to warn him that it would when you keep your face doing one thing for too long. Niall, who gives the best hugs, wraps his arms all the way around her.

She likes to think that maybe this Niall, the one that hugs and smiles and laughs this way, that this Niall is hers. Kind of likes the idea that maybe he still treats her differently, even though she’s told him _friends_. But she knows better, honestly.

-

Casual.

It’s really just casual. Or at least that’s what she’s telling herself after she’s kicked him out of her bed for the third time.

She really didn’t mean for it to happen like this.

It was an accident, honestly.

She just fell and his lips happened to cushion her fall.

She was wearing heels is why.

 _HE WORE HER UNDERWEAR ON HIS HEAD AND PUT A PICTURE OF IT ON INSTAGRAM WHILE SHE WAS AWAY._ It’s not fair is what it truly is. Basically, the decision to let him into her bed was because she didn’t trust him sleeping on her couch any more.

-

It takes Laura a while to realise how clumsy Niall actually is. That he’ll do one push-up and fall to the ground mumbling that he prefers sleeping on the ground anyway. Can’t leapfrog over his bandmates across the stage. Can’t do much really.

Laura hooks her ankles behind Niall's back and he lifts her off the counter, takes two steps before her legs fall and she's scrambling to stand up in front of him.

She pulls away and his lips are bright red and kiss wet. He's got a on a sheepish grin and rubs the back of his neck. "Sorry," he mumbles, hand going back to her hip. "Can't carry you. You're too heavy."

She gasps, brings a hand to her chest, mock offended. "Are you calling me fat, Horan?"

He grins and dips back to press a kiss against the corner of her mouth, "'Course not, love. I'm just not strong enough."

She laughs loud, head thrown back, has picked up that kind of laughter from him, and he mouths at her neck. "Think you're plenty strong," She mumbles, squeezing his bicep, and he bites into a sensitive spot in her skin. "Oh!" He digs his fingers into her hips and pulls her towards the bedroom.


End file.
